Method of pressing



H. W. PETH.

METHOD OF PRESSING.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE 13. um.

Patonted May 24,1921.

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lmvmnwr 2 H. W. PETH.

METHOD OF PBESSING.

APPLICATION man JUNE 13. 1917.

Patented May 24, 1921.

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Hmmmwrs 2 M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERMAN W. PETE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PETE PRESSING PROCESS, INC., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD OF PRESSING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 24, 1921.

Application filed June 13, 1917. Serial No. 174,479.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN W. PETH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Pressing, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a method of pressing cloth or the like.

Two methods of pressing are now in general use. According to one of such methods, the goods to be pressed are positioned between two pressing eleinents having substantially equal pressing surfaces either or both of which are heated by a gas burner or by steam. Such an arrangement is effective for pressing flat goods, but for seams and off-pressing, it cannot be used. Seamand oif-pressing has been accomplished by the other method which consists of employing a heated bed and a heated iron, the bed being covered with fabric and the iron being uncovered and shiftable over the bed to be positioned at any point on the material. In. the machines employing this latter method the iron is most generally heated by gas although it has been suggested to use a steam heated iron in a construction where the bed is not heated.

Before the pressing action is completed it is necessary to moisten the goods, the

practice being to apply a moist sponge to the material. This sponging causes, in some instances, a spotting or discoloration of the goods and to overcome this, it has been suggested, in connection with the first method in which the two pressing elements have equal pressing surfaces, to saturate the goods with steam during the first part of the pressing action while the goods are held between the pressing surfaces. This has been found to be satisfactory for the pressing of fiat work, but no satlsfactory provision has been made whereby the seamand off-pressing machines can employ the steam moistening step.

It is the purpose of this invention to provide a method which will permit the steam moistening step to be employed in a seamedge or off-pressing machine, or similar ironing or pressing machines used on mater1a1s of any kind. Another object of this lnvention is to provide for pressing garments without any danger of spotting or burning the goods, and at the same time to prevent the moistening of those portions of the goods which have previously been ironed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide for pressing the seams of sleeves or trouser legs without leavin the impress of the seam on the goods. A urther object is to provide for pressing the inner faces on cuffs of garments by the operation of'pressing'the outer faces.

To these and other ends a convenient embodiment for carrying out the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be, hereinafter described, the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a View, partially in section, of a seam-and ofi-pressing machine embodying the present invention;

2 is a plan view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the iron;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line a-w, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line bb, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bed with a seam-pressing attachment;

Fig. 7 is a side view of the bed with the seam-pressing attachment;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the bed with the cuff-pressing attachment; and

Fi 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the bed s owing the cuff-pressing attachment.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, 1 indicates a table from which rises a hollow standard 2, the latter supporting the ironing bed 3 which, in this instance, is of hollow formation to provide a steam chamber 4, the bottom wall of which drains toward the center of the chamber. This bed 3 has a fabric covering 5 of any suitable type, and acts as a support stem 8 of the handle 9 in a manner to permit the stem to turn in the sleeve. The sleeve is preferably mounted to turn about a horizontal axis in a bearing 10 on a swinging link 11, which is carried by a swinging arm 12 on a vertically movable member 13, the latter being controlled in any suitable manner to raise and lower the pressing head or iron 6 with reference to the bed 3.

The iron or pressing head in the illustrated embodiment is formed of a single casting with a steam chamber 14 provided therein. The inlet to this chamber is formed by a tube 15 extending through the rear wall of the iron or chamber, and having a screwthreaded portion or bushing 16 engaging the opening in the rear wall. This tube e);- tends substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the iron, and has its inner end open and spaced slightly from the front end of the chamber 14, so that the steam from the steam supply pipe 17 is discharged from the pipe 15 into the chamber 14 near the ends of the iron. At the rear end of the iron the chamber 14 is provided with an outlet 18 which, by a flexible piping 19, connects with the inlet piping 20 of the bed. The inlet piping 20 is secured to a bushing 21 in the bottom of the bed, and a pipe 22 projects upwardly from the bushing in line with the inlet pipe 20 to cause the steam to enter the steam chamber 4 of the bed in proximity to the top wall of the chamber. To the bushing 21 an outlet pipe 23 connects to conduct the used steam and water of condensation to any suitable place.

By providing the iron or pressing head and the bed both with steam chambers, it is possible to maintain both of these elements at substantially the same temperature. This temperature may, by regulating the steam, be held constant, and at such a degree that, notwithstanding that the goods are held engaged by the two heated elements for any length of time, there will be no danger of burning such goods.

As before pointed out, it is customary to moisten the goods by means of a sponge during the pressing, but that such moistening is accompanied in many instances by spotting or discoloration of the goods. This is overcome, in this invention, as has been heretofore stated, by discharging steam ontothe upper surface of the goods during the pressing operation, preferably by providing the pressing head or iron with a steam discharge directed toward the bottom of the iron and under the control of the operative. In this embodiment, this steam discharge is formed by a plurality of openings 24 in the bottom of the iron within the edges of the latter, these openings, in this instance, leading from a chamber 25 formed in the iron and connected with the steam chamber 14 by a passage or port 26, the latter being arranged within a bushing 27 secured in a larger opening in the wall between the chambers 14 and 25. This passage 26 'iscontrolled, in this embodiment, by a valve 28 seated in the upper end of the passage and having a stem 29 extending therefrom and through the stem 8 of the handle 9, a finger piece 30 being provided at the upper end of the stem and in proximity to the grip portion of the handle, in order that the valve 28 may be moved away from its seat to open the passageway 26, while the operative is gripping the handle. Normally the valve 28 is held in closed position by a helical spring 31 which, at one end, abuts a collar 32 on the stem 29, and at the other end abuts the lower end of the stem 8. The stem 8,in this instance, is detachably connected to the body of the iron by screw-threads 33 which engage the screw-threaded walls of an opening directly above the bushing 27, said opening being larger in diameter than the bushing 27 in order that the latter may be readily removed or fitted in place. The bushing 27 with the passageway 26 is formed separate from the body of the iron in order to facilitate the manufacture of the apparatus.

\Vhenever the valve 28 is elevated by means of the finger piece 30, steam will issue from the chamber 14 into the chamber 25, and from the latter by way of the discharge openings 24. The discharge of the steam by way of the openings 24 should take place while the iron or pressing head is lying in cont-act with the goods to be ironed or pressed, and owing to the fact that the openings 24 are within the edges of the iron, the steam will be caused to penetrate the goods on the ironing bed as it cannot escape from such goods until it has passed beyond the edges of the iron. This causes a thorough saturation of the goods with the steam without producing an over-moistening of the goods. Furthermore, the steam is applied directly at the place which is to be pressed or ironed, and does not spread over or saturate ,those portions which have been previously pressed or ironed. As the iron and the bed are both heated it is possible to maintain both of these parts attemperatures belowthat which would burn the goods, and yet the moisture produced from the steam can be readily driven off. If the bed were not heated, it would be impossible, with an iron or presser head heated below a temperature which would burn the goods, to drive off such moisture n a short space of time.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of an attachment which will permit the ironing of sleeve seams and seams in trouser legs without causing the imprint of the seam to be left upon that portion of the sleeve or leg opposite the seam. This attachment, in this instance, comprises an elongated plate member 34 hinged near one end at 35 to a clamping frame 36 engaging the heated bed 3 near one end of the latter, so that the elongated member or ironing plate 34 will lie in contact with the upper surface of the bedto receive heat therefrom, but may be swung upwardly to permit the fitting of the sleeve or le thereover, as shown in dotted lines in F 1g. 6. It is apparentv that when the portion of the sleeve or leg above the ironing plate 34 is pressed, that portion of the sleeve or leg under the ironing plate will not be affected deleteri-' ously by the pressing of the portion above. In fact, the portion under the plate will be held between the heated surface of the bed and the heated plate, thus, to a certain extent, maintaining such portion in a pressed condition. Any suitable means may be employed for elevating the plate 34 as, for instance, a treadle 37 connected by a link 38 with the plate 34 at 39 near the pivot 35 of said plate.

Another difiicult point in ironing garments, especially mens coats and trousers, is the cuff of a sleeve or trouser leg. At the present time, it is necessary to iron a cuff both inside and out, and this work is tedious .and difficult. According to this invention, a

sleeve is ironed or pressed on the exterior while heated pressing means is, introduced within the sleeve, so that the sleeve requires to be pressed only on, the outside. In this construction, two leaves 40 are mounted to turn about a common axis. This is preferably eifected by providing two 'alined shafts 41 each of which is mounted on a bracket 42 clamped to the bed 3, the brackets being arranged on opposite sides of the bed. To

each shaft 41 an arm 43 is secured, which,

by a link 44, connects with a common treadle 45 for the two links. The bed 3 may be provided with a number of perforations beneath the plates controlled by a manually operated valve to moisten those portions of the garment beneath the plates at will. By this arrangement, the depression of the treadle will swing both leaves 40 upwardly away from the bed 3 to permit the introduction of the cuff ends of the sleeve over said leaves or plates 40, in the manner shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9. With the lowering of the plates the sleeves are resting upon the bed 3 with the leaves 40 withinthe cuffs, leaving the upper portion of the sleeve or leg exposed for pressing. With this pressing, the inside of the cuff, and also that portion of the garment under the plate, become pressed, thus eliminating a separate pressing action of said inside and shortening the time required for pressing the garment.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a pressing apparatus in which all danger of burning of the g s i n t due t the fa t that the pressing elements are heated below that temperature which would burn such goods if the latter were permitted to be held between the elements for any length of time. At the same time the moistening of the goods is obtained without any danger of spotting or discoloring the goods. Owing to the fact that the iron or pressing head is shiftable to various positions upon the bed, the apparatus is adapted for off-pressing seams or seam work which cannot be done by two pressing elements having coextensive pressing areasv While the invention has been shown in an apparatus in which the iron or pressing head is moved and held toward the bed, it is apparent that the invention is not limited to this arrangement but maybe used in any construction in which an iron is movable over a bed or table. Owing to the fact that the steam is carried by the iron it may be discharged at will at any point on the goods to be pressed without moistening the portions of the goods which have already-been pressed. The arrangement of the discharge orifices or openings on the under side of the iron within the edges of the iron or pressing head causes the steam to be held within the goods until the edges of the iron are reached, the pressing surface of the iron on opposite sides of the discharge openings or orifices acting to prevent the escape of the steam until it has passed through the goods.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The method of pressing goods which consists in providing a fabric covered bed and a shiftable iron whose ironing surface is perforated and is less in area than that of the bed, heating the iron and the bed both to temperatures less than that which would burn the goods if the iron and the bed were held in contact with the goods simultaneously for an extended length of time, and pressing the goods by moving the iron to different portions of the goods on the bed and by issuing steam through the perforated ironing surface of the iron, while the iron is in engagement with the goodsin the different positions so that steam is caused to pass through the goods and the fabric-covcred bed to issue about the edges of the iron without material condensation, the iron.

moving the iron to different portions of the goods on the bed and by issuing steam through the perforated ironing surface of the iron while the iron is in engagement with the goods in the different positions, so that the steam is caused to pass through the goods and the fabric covered bed to issue about the edges of the iron Without material condensation, the iron after the issuing of the steam in any one position being held at 10 such position until that portion of the goods under the iron is dry and pressed.

HERMAN W. PETH. 

